I love coffee—black coffee, specifically. Cream or sugar only interfere with the flavor of my beloved drink.

Before this experiment, I usually had three or four cups a day. This usually consisted of two before I left the house, another one or two at work, and then maybe one later in the afternoon if I needed a pick-me-up. My office is right above a coffee shop, so you could say I wasn't exactly set up for success.

I've always wanted to break my caffeine habit but dreaded the withdraw I've read so much about. Aside from coffee, I don't drink very much caffeine, so I knew this was going to be the epitome of "going cold turkey." Here's what happened when I tried to go without it for a whole week.

Day 1 — I didn't think it would be so bad.

I hadn't actually planned to start on this day, but it just worked out that way. I was spending the weekend at my fiance's parents' house, and they only had decaf coffee in the house. I had one cup of that in the morning because it felt weird not to have something.

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There were no noticeable side-effects that day, and I thought this was going to be a piece of cake.

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Day 2 - I started feeling the effects.

The next morning we were on the road heading back home. On the drive, I started feeling really groggy and decided I had to break down and get some caffeine. I stopped by McDonald's to get a Diet Coke, which isn't something I normally have in the morning. And since soda only has about ⅕ of the caffeine coffee does, it didn't really give me the boost I needed.

I finished out the weekend with a lazy day of movies and went to bed super early.

Day 3 - The first day back at work was actually OK.

Today was the biggest test. It was my first morning back home from a weekend of traveling, and it would be my first day back at my normal routine. Since that routine usually involves coffee, my muscle memory kicked in. The moment I woke up, I went straight to the coffee pot and put in a coffee filter, before realizing what I was doing.

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After that slight hiccup, I actually felt great this day and thought Sunday's grogginess was the worst of it.

Day 4 - Then things got worse.

Tuesday was… a struggle.

It started off fine. I was alert and focused, and even started having thoughts like "wow, people really exaggerate caffeine withdrawal." Then the universe punished me for my cockiness.

Around lunchtime, I got a splitting headache that I stuck with me through the rest of the day. I went to bed around 8 p.m., and then at midnight, a bout of insomnia kicked in.

Now, I can't say for sure that the insomnia was related to my body's wacky caffeine levels. But what I do know, is that insomnia is not a thing for me. I usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and sleep like a baby until I hear my alarm. On this night, however, I laid awake until it was time to get ready for work.

I felt horrible at one point.
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Day 5 - I was in actual pain.

Since I didn't sleep much the night before, day five was off to a pretty rocky start. I was exhausted and still had a headache for most of the day. I got so nauseous from my headache (which had become a full-blown migraine by that point) that I had to leave work early. I took a three-hour nap and accepted that the withdrawal had won that day.

Day 6 - I caved and had an energy drink.

It took an unbelievably long time to pull myself out of bed, and I still ended up falling back asleep on the couch after breakfast. I had a lot of errands to run that day, so I broke down and got an 8 oz. sugar-free Red Bull that afternoon. I only drank about 4 oz. of it, but it was the pick-me-up I desperately needed. I wouldn't say I was energetic that day, but I at least didn't feel like I could fall asleep standing up.

Day 7 - I started actually feeling good.

When I woke up, I felt something I hadn't felt this week… good. I actually woke up before my alarm and didn't feel drowsy at all. Instead, I felt alert and full of energy. I did a mental check-in later in the day, around the time I would get my traditional afternoon brain fog, but it wasn't there. For the first time since quitting coffee, I felt like I was doing the right thing.

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I'd like to say that I stuck with my coffee-free lifestyle, especially since I know coffee isn't great for my teeth, heart, or anxiety. I did, however, cut back. After the experiment was over I limited myself to the two pre-work cups that I habitually drink while I write and eat breakfast. Most importantly, I know I am totally capable of cutting out coffee if I want, which isn't something I felt confident about before.

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